Remedial works underway to help improve Paponga Road safety

Remedial works on Kohukohu’s Paponga Road are underway this week following concerns about slippery and potentially unsafe driving conditions.

The road- used regularly by logging trucks- has attracted concern from both community and elected members in recent months, after reports of loose metal on the road’s surface making it difficult to drive on.

This has prompted further grading work to resolve the issue, with Far North District Council contractor Fulton Hogan beginning remedial work on Tuesday (10 November) to stabilise the road.

The crew are using a mechanical hoe to add finer material to the grading mix, in an effort to better bind loose stones and create a firmer, more stable surface.

Damp conditions on Tuesday also helped the crew achieve better consistency and compaction of the finer material, with around 1.5km of road completed on the first day.

Full Hogan says the aim is to finish the work by Friday (13 November), weather permitting.

In the meantime, loose metal will be moved into a windrow (ridge) along the roadside to help improve driving conditions.

While the cause of the unstable surface is yet to be determined, the council and Fulton Hogan will continue to investigate whether it relates to how the material was laid, the volume of logging traffic or a combination of both.

The council will continue to monitor repairs and will work with Fulton Hogan to identify the cause and reduce the risk of the problem recurring.